In the Long Run

I really wasn’t trying to prank, or punish my son, or impress upon him the importance of punctuality, although of course I do believe it is an admirable trait. Let me explain.

Big Guy attends an early morning Seminary class each weekday at our church. For a teenager, 6:30 AM is an intolerable start time, and my son sleeps in until the last possible moment. His dad and I often roust him out of bed to encourage him to get to his meeting on time. Then he basically rolls out of bed, pulls on some shoes and a jacket, and drives to the church half-asleep.

A couple of mornings ago, I awoke before my alarm sounded, and couldn’t fall back asleep. 6:05, the clock said. When it was 6:20, and I hadn’t heard Big Guy stirring, I went downstairs and awakened him. “Hey guy, time to get going.” I thought I was pleasant and not too dictatorial. Indeed, Big Guy got up, and left, and I headed back to bed for a few minutes.

I had just dozed off when I heard the downstairs door from the garage shut, and someone scuffling about. I wondered what Big Guy had forgotten. When I didn’t hear him leave again, I went downstairs to check on him.

He was back in bed with the covers over his head. “Why are you in bed?!” I asked, bewildered. “It’s 5:30!” he answered. “What? 5:30? What do you mean?” I pressed, still confused. Big Guy is not a man of many words. He just repeated, “It’s FIVE-thirty.”

I confess that I giggled a little when I realized I had awakened him an hour early. Somehow my bedside clock had been off. “Did you get all the way to the church?” I quizzed, trying to suppress my amusement. “Yes!” Now that response approached a warning growl. I apologized sincerely, and left the room so he could go back to sleep.

And that was it. Big Guy did not rant or rave. He did not accuse me of being a terrible parent. And I never feared his launching into anything akin to “elder abuse”! Perhaps sleep was a greater motivator, and he was just too tired to put up a fuss. But I entertain the thought, with pride and satisfaction, that just maybe he was showing the maturity of a teenager making that delicate transition into adulthood.

Posted by Cyppy at 3:13 PM